Jacques and Eleanah’s Matakana Wedding

Wedding Photography by Amber

No amount of rain could stop these two from having the wedding of their dreams. The fact that both of them, when choosing their favourite images, chose rain and umbrellas says it all. Their Matakana wedding was held at The Stables Events venue, and we managed to sneak them away for a beautiful autumn photoshoot.

Eleanah and Jacques have answered some questions to help our future brides and grooms when planning their wedding.

What is your favourite memory of the day?

Genuinely, our favourite memory of the day was actually during our photos once the bridal party had headed back to the venue. 

It was one of the only moments of the day where it was just us, without everyone’s eyes on us. 

Amber made us feel super comfortable to the point we forgot she was there! We had these beautiful moments of kissing and cuddling in the rain, which made for some amazing photos. These moments were so special to us as they were our first quiet moments as husband and wife, and we were surrounded by beautiful nature and scenery. 

Weddings are a busy day for anyone, and it’s so nice to experience an occasion like this where time just seemed to slow down.

What surprised you on the day? 

We were a bit surprised by the torrential rain…classic Auckland for you!

We definitely had high hopes for a nice sunny day with an outdoor ceremony, but had to bring this indoors. In saying that, we had an amazing indoor backdrop and the wet weather provided the most stunning photos. 

In hindsight, the rain added to the experience and our celebrant started our ceremony with the following saying;

“Rain on your wedding day is good luck because it signifies the marriage will last. As you know, a knot that becomes wet is extremely hard to untie”

As the Groom, I was a bit surprised no one told me the bus from Auckland (to the venue) was running behind schedule, and almost thought my wife-to-be had done a runner.

What was one thing you wish you had known before planning your wedding? 

We wish we had known to take more moments with each other, away from everyone. We were given this advice and took moments whenever we could, but as the day is quite hectic and there are so many people to talk to (especially those that have travelled from afar), it is quite hard to achieve.

More regular, intimate moments would be highly recommended for any future bride and groom when planning their big day. 

Oh and also…how little the Groom does to plan the wedding.

What’s your advice for future couples? 

You might hear this a lot, but take a breath and be in the moment.

There is so much love in the air at a wedding, and it is quite hard not to wonder if everything is going according to plan. If something doesn’t quite go to plan, your guests wont know. Remember they are there to celebrate you and have fun with you. 

Don’t get caught up in the details of the day, because the day is really about you having the best day of your life, with the people that love you the most. Enjoy that!

Also, the nerves settle pretty quickly once the day gets started and you get into the swing of the festivities.

What is your favourite photo and why? 

Sooooo many, honestly how do we pick one?

Eleanah: The photo of us walking down the autumn road and a moment is captured of us kissing (above). This is such an incredible photo because it was authentic and unplanned. We were walking back for some more shots and Amber was able to freeze this beautiful moment in time for us. The backdrop, the dramatic framing from the trees, the colours, all of it looks so beautiful. 

Also, the photos of my dad seeing me for the first time are very very special to me (in the gallery below).

Jacques: I really like the shot of us under the one umbrella, with the beautiful nature and trees high above us (photo below). I think this is quite fitting as Eleanah loves going for walks in the rain, and we also try to take nature walks as often as we can.

Other noteworthy photo mentions include; Eleanah sculling her red Vodka Cruiser and then spilling it all down her wedding dress, to the next photo of me pouring water on her / down the dress before it stains (below).

Keep scrolling to see Eleanah and Jacques Matakana wedding unfold.

Vendor Shoutout:

Wedding Dress and Headpiece: A bespoke gown from Vinka Design.
Suits: Barkers
Bridal Rings and Jewellery: Zoe and Morgan
Groom’s Ring: Guys Gold
Celebrant: Carla Rotondo
Hair and Makeup: Peach Club
Flowers: Wandering Willow NZ
Venue: The Stables Events Venue, Matakana.
Lighting: Festoon Lighting Company
DJ: Benn Morrison

If you are planning an autumn wedding, check out some of our lovely autumn galleries here.

_{All of you were incredible, so easy to work with and truly made us feel comfortable on the day. We had heard from some friends to prepare for a bit of awkwardness & forced smiles, but that was so far from the reality and experience you gave us.}

_{Thank you for giving us the most stunning wedding photos. When we received the link for the first time, we were so blown away by how gorgeous the photos were, we had to go back several times to actually look at us.}

_{We have joked about hosting another wedding just to use you guys again because you are so good! Thank you once again for capturing our day}.

Eleanah & Jacques